The name Ferrers was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ferrers family lived in Staffordshire. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Ferriers, in Gastonois, Normandy. Specifically, the place name comes from "ferrière," which refers to an "iron works." "Many of the coats-armours assigned to the name contain horse-shoes, and at Oakham in Rutlandshire, an ancient barony of the family, a custom prevails to this day of demanding a horse-shoe of every peer of the realm who passes through the town." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Another source clarifies that it was Walkelin de Ferrers who started this tradition shortly after he settled there after the Norman Conquest. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Ferrers Early Origins

The surname Ferrers was first found in Staffordshire, where Henry de Fereres of Ferriers-St. Hilaire, Lord of Longueville, Normandy was on record in the Domesday Book of 1086; his castle was at Tutbury, Staffordshire; he had large holdings in Derbyshire, as well as lands in 14 other counties. Other early records include a Henry le Ferrur on record in 1196 in the Curia Regis Rolls for that same county. Said to be descendents of Henry de Feriers, the Norman Ferrers family held the earldom of Derby from 1138-1266 and "held 210 lordships in fourteen counties of England, besides the castle and borough of Tutbury, in Staffordshire, the principle seat of the earldom." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print. However, not all the lordships and manors stayed with the family. "The manor [of Uttoxeter in Staffordshire] was granted by the Conqueror to Henry de Ferrers, Earl of Derby; and was forfeited to the crown, together with the other large estates of that family, by Earl Robert, in the reign of Henry III., and given to Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, the king's second son." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. And another example of the family losing an estate: "In the 36th of Henry III. the manor [of Wavertree in Lancashire] was granted to William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, from whom it reverted to the crown." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. And yet another branch of the family were well established at Wirksworth in Derbyshire in ancient times. " In Domesday Book, Wirksworth is described as the property of the king, having a church, a priest, and three leadmines; and it remained in the crown until King John, in the fifth year of his reign, granted it to William de Ferrers, in whose family it continued till the attainder of his descendant, Robert, in the time of Henry III. By this monarch it was given in 1265 to his son, Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, and the manor has since that period constituted a part of the possessions of the duchy of Lancaster." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Ferrers Spelling Variations

Ferrers Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ferrers have been found, including Ferrer, Ferrers, Ferers, Feres, Ferris, Ferres, Ferries, Ferras, Farris, Farriss, Faries, de Ferrers, Ferriers and many more.

Ferrers Early Notables (pre 1700)

Ferrers Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was the ennobled families Ferrers, Earls of Derby (1138-1279); Baron Ferrers of Chartley (1299-1325); Lord Ferrers of Groby (1300-1445); Robert de Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (1358-1413), inherited the title of Baron Ferrers of Chartley upon his father's death at the Battle of...

Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ferrers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ferrers In Ireland

Ferrers In Ireland

Some of the Ferrers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ferrers were among those contributors:

Ferrers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Ferrers (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ferrers (post 1700)

Laurence Shirley Ferrers (1720-1760), English criminal

Norman Macleod Ferrers (1829-1903), British mathematician

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, The Privy Council, Knightage and Compainonage. London: Burke Publishing, 1921. Print.

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.

The Ferrers Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Ferrers Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.